December 17 / Acts 25-28

Acts 25-28

Today we come to the end of the book of Acts, with Paul held under house arrest in Rome, continuing to await judgment from the emperor (i.e., Nero) and continuing to proclaim the Gospel. As we proceed through the rest of Paul’s Epistles, let’s remember his situation, his imprisonment, and his hardships. Let’s bring to mind II Corinthians 11:23-27 and envision the scars on Paul’s back. Let’s understand that when Paul speaks of suffering, he speaks from very real experience.

How is it that Paul can endure so much? How is it that he persists in proclaiming the Gospel in the face of such hardship? Perhaps the answer has something to do with Paul’s meeting the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, a story we hear three times in the book of Acts. (Acts 9:1-22; 22:1-16; 26:12-18) For Paul, the idea of the Resurrection is not some abstract theological construct or wishful thinking. That is, Paul knows the resurrected Jesus, and he knows Him well.

Do we?

See also:

December 16 / Philippians

Philippians 1-4

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

I expect that this verse is quite familiar to most of us. We probably even have it memorized (whether on purpose or not) just from hearing it repeated often enough. This verse captures a major theme woven throughout this letter: joy — joy in the face of prison, joy in the face of uncertainty, joy in the face of hardship — rejoicing in the Lord and rejoicing always.

There are, of course, many other verses in this letter that may sound familiar. In fact, you might want to memorize them, if you haven’t already. Consider any or all of these, perhaps:

  • Philippians 1:3-5
  • Philippians 1:6
  • Philippians 1:18
  • Philippians 1:21
  • Philippians 2:1-2
  • Philippians 2:3-4
  • Philippians 2:5-11
  • Philippians 2:12-13
  • Philippians 3:4-11
  • Philippians 3:14
  • Philippians 3:20-21
  • Philippians 4:1
  • Philippians 4:5
  • Philippians 4:6-7
  • Philippians 4:8-9
  • Philippians 4:12
  • Philippians 4:13
  • Philippians 4:19

Shoot! Go ahead and memorize the entire letter. It’s not that long. Yes, it will take effort, but isn’t Christ worth that effort? Try it! You’ll be glad you did!

But whether you memorize any of this letter or not, I hope that you nonetheless listen to what Paul says here. Hear Paul’s gratitude, affection, and love for the Philippians; his exhortations for unity and humility; his straining to know Christ and the power of His resurrection; his joy in the Lord; and the peace that passes understanding. My prayer for us, like Paul’s, is this:

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11

Pure and blameless for the day of Christ… That day is coming. Are you ready?

See also:

One more thing…

Regarding chronology, I agree with what Fred said in 2020, that The Chronological Study Bible that we’re following is probably leading us astray by putting this Epistle to the Philippians here between Acts 24 and Acts 25 (while Paul is still in Caesarea), rather than later (when Paul is in Rome).

December 15 / Acts 21:17-24:27

Acts 21:17-24:27

On his way to Jerusalem, Paul does not know exactly what is to befall him there, but he knows it is not to be pleasant. (Acts 20:22-23) He presses forward in obedience anyway. He is warned that the Jews in Jerusalem are to deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. (Acts 21:10-11) He presses forward in obedience anyway.

Sure enough, in Jerusalem, pandemonium breaks out around Paul. He is beaten by an angry mob, falsely accused, and taken into (protective) custody by the Romans. But although Paul’s circumstances may seem dire, the Lord is still in control:

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Acts 23:11b

It may take quite some time before Paul gets to Rome. He must still face dangers, trials, tribulations, and uncertainty. But one thing is sure: He is in the Lord’s hands, the hands of the Resurrected One.

We, too, are in the Lord’s hands. We may not quite be in Paul’s circumstances, but we all face difficulties and uncertainties of various shapes and sizes. Things may seem chaotic. They may even seem horrific, as with the situation in Israel and Gaza. In such situations, saying that the Lord is in control may seem trite, but it is nonetheless true and nonetheless what we need to remember. The Resurrected Lord is still present. The Resurrected Christ still holds you in His hands.

See also:

December 14 / Romans 15:14-16:27; Acts 20:3b-21:16

Romans 15:14-16:27;
Acts 20:3b-21:16

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Romans 15:14

That’s what Paul writes to the first-century church in Rome. Would he write the same thing to us today? Why? Or why not? Or look at the way Paul speaks of various individuals to whom he sends greetings in Romans 16:1-15. If he were to send personal greetings to you, what might he say? Food for thought…

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.

Romans 16:17-18

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Acts 20:29-30

Again, that’s Paul speaking, first to the church in Rome, then (in Acts) to the leaders of the church in Ephesus. Here’s Jesus:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Matthew 10:16

Some seem to think that false teachers and those who water down or “update” the Gospel are no big deal. Jesus and His Apostle say otherwise. Maybe we should pay attention to these warnings. Maybe we should be on guard. To whom do you listen?

See also:

December 13 / Romans 12:1-15:13

Romans 12:1-15:13

I appeal to you therefore…

Romans 12:1a

So, what is the “therefore” there for?

It strikes me that Romans 12:1 is often quoted all by itself. Or sometimes one hears Romans 12:2 all by itself. Now and then one hears both verses quoted together. But rarely (i.e., almost never) does one hear them in conjunction with Romans 11 or (even more rarely) with all of Romans 1-11. But these verses do not stand in isolation. They are fully dependent on what comes before. Likewise, our entire reading today is to be read in the light of the previous 11 chapters. As Paul turns the corner from “theology” to “practical application”, we would do well to remember that theology, to remember faith and grace and the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we are prone to turning Paul’s instructions here into yet another set of rules to follow to establish our own righteousness, and if that is where we land, then we are most certainly missing the Gospel.

See also:

December 12 / Romans 9-11

Romans 9-11

So what about Israel? What about the Jews? In light of the Gospel of faith in Jesus Christ, what about all those promises to “God’s people?” These are a few of the questions that Paul addresses in today’s reading. Unfortunately, it seems that many Christians widely ignore these chapters altogether.

For example, many are so certain of their notion of “free will” that they cannot tolerate any hint of predestination and so must either completely reject Romans 9 or otherwise so twist its words as to be unrecognizable. And, yes, I’m referring to all those — perhaps even you — who contend that God cannot be responsible for hardening hearts, not even Pharaoh’s, despite what Scripture says. Such arguments are ostensibly made in an attempt to make God look good and fair-minded. But in truth, far from defending God, this total devotion to the theology of free will is really justification of self. (When I say that my decision to follow Jesus is my own free choice, I can pat myself on the back for being so wise in making that smart choice, and I can also look down — perhaps with pity, perhaps with disdain — on all those idiots who can’t manage to connect the dots… Does that sound at all familiar?) Let’s not discard Scripture in order to feel better about ourselves. Let’s pay attention to what Scripture actually says.

Similarly, there is antisemitism currently running rampant around the world and right here in the U.S.A., often coming from those who call themselves “Christians” and often framed in supposedly “Christian” arguments (e.g., justifying the hatred of Jews by blaming them for crucifying Jesus). But we’ll find no support for such antisemitism here. One must again ignore — or utterly reject — Romans 9-11 to conclude that God has permanently abandoned Israel. God most certainly still has a heart for Israel. God’s promises to Israel are still valid. And if God does not abandon Israel, then neither should we. Let’s pay attention to what Scripture actually says.

No, let’s not ignore these chapters. Let’s not think that all this “big picture” theology has little or no relevance to us or our daily lives or our politics. Let’s not grow arrogant in our relationship with God. Let’s instead pay all the more close attention to what God might be telling us here. Let’s listen to what He actually says.

See also:

One more thing…

A few months back the Sunday sermons at St. Andrew’s followed the lectionary readings through Romans. You can find most of those sermons on St. Andrew’s YouTube sermon playlist. Two of those sermons (both by Ben) pertain particularly to today’s reading:

December 11 / Romans 5-8

Romans 5-8

Most of us, I think, are missing out. Most of us read these chapters of Romans and nod our heads in agreement but do not really believe what we read. Or, rather, we’ve been conditioned to interpret Paul’s words narrowly as applying only after we physically die. We read “saved,” and we think “saved from hell after we die.” We read “the free gift of God is eternal life,” and we think “life after we die.” We read of the Holy Spirit and we think “He sounds nice,” but we’re not really sure about Him. We read of being “set free from sin,” and we think, “yes, in heaven, after we die.” We are all too familiar with wanting to do the right thing but not having the power to do it. (Romans 7:18) We think we believe in Jesus and hope for the resurrection some day, but we resign ourselves to failure now, saying “Wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24)

What, then, does it mean to say that we “have” the Holy Spirit? Is this just a nice theological idea? Or is Paul speaking of a Reality, here and now? Do you know this Reality? Are you, yourself, living “in the Spirit” or are you “in the flesh?” Are you dead to sin and alive to God? Or is it more accurate to say that you are a slave to sin and hope that someday you might be alive to God? Is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ a Reality to you right this very minute? Or does your faith apply only to the “sweet by and by?”

Go back and read Romans 5-8 again — and again and again and again. Ask yourself what you really believe — and whether there is anything you need to think about differently. That’s what I’m doing.

See also:

December 10 / Romans 1-4

Romans 1-4

What is your standard? What rules or guidelines do you think people should follow? What’s the bare minimum for acceptable conduct?

It does not matter what the standard is. The standard could be God-given, like the Ten Commandments or the rest of the Torah, or it could be societal norms, or it could be one’s own conscience, or it could be whatever set of rules we wish to use to condemn others and make ourselves look good. The standard may not even present a particularly high bar. It can be exceedingly low. Regardless, we all have such a standard for ourselves. And we all violate our own standard in one way or another. Even those who say there should be no such rules and quote Jesus with “judge not that you be not judged” (Mt. 7:1), then turn around and condemn all those that they think are improperly judging others, thereby themselves judging others. We all fall short. We all need to be justified. We all need a Savior.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26

See also:

December 9 / II Corinthians 8-13; Acts 20:2-3a

II Corinthians 8-13;
Acts 20:2-3a

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10

Feeling strong and capable, confident that you have within yourself what it takes to do a job for Jesus? You may indeed do well. You might impress the audience and get plenty of accolades. Aware of your own inadequacies, weaknesses, and struggles? Wondering how you’ll get it all done? Perfect! Now we’ll all know that it isn’t really you, but Christ’s power at work in you. And that, my friend, is much better!

That is not to say that we should not put our strengths and talents to good use for the kingdom. Of course we should, just as Paul clearly does. But we should not be discouraged by our weaknesses and shortcomings, either. We should instead view our weaknesses as opportunities for the Lord to be glorified. As Paul says in II Cor. 4:7, we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Let’s be clear about what is clay and what is treasure.

My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.

See also:

December 8 / II Corinthians 1-7

II Corinthians 1-7

Today we are racing through several chapters that I find to be some of the most difficult to understand in all of Scripture. Part of the problem that we have is that the context is very unclear. In Acts, Luke does not tell us absolutely everything about Paul’s comings and goings, so we do not know for certain how many times Paul might have visited Corinth or when. Neither do we know how many letters Paul might have written that we no longer have in hand, nor what the occasions might have been for writing those letters. Furthermore, II Corinthians itself seems to be somewhat jumbled up — at least, it seems so to me — so you might want to take a look at my comments about rearranging II Corinthians. All in all, we are left to guess about quite a bit. Even so, I trust that, in God’s sovereignty, we have what we are supposed to have — but that does not mean it’s easy!

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

II Corinthians 4:7-11

Does this sound anything like what you might hear from various “Christian” authors, televangelists, and other purveyors of prosperity theology? Does God promise the Christian health and wealth, a grand life that is free of pain, illness, suffering, and poverty — if only you have enough faith? Are the difficulties you are facing a sign of sin in your life or of a lack of faith? Maybe. Or maybe not…

See also: